Madden NFL 07 - 360 - Preview

Last
year’s Madden 2006 presented the “Vision & Precision” element, putting a focus
on the passing game. The addition received mixed reviews, but the game was
widely well-received overall. However, this year, the Madden team is gearing up
to revamp the running game, which has needed some assistance for several years
now. The new feature, Lead Blocker Control, adds a brand new dynamic to the game
and should add a great new element to the Madden franchise when Madden 2007 is
released this August.

Lead
Blocker Control is just that, it allows you to control the lead blocker,
clearing the path for the ball. You use the right analog stick to control the
blocker, clearing a path and then switching back when you see fit.

Another
nice addition to the running game has been some changes made to the Highlight
Stick to accommodate smaller players. Smaller players will now have access to
unique moves that aren’t limited to strength and size, giving them a bit more of
a fighting chance when going up against huge opponents.

The
Superstar mode introduced last year has also gone through some changes. You can
create any position on the field, with your ultimate goal being to get into the
NFL Hall of Fame, becoming rich and famous along the way with movie deals and
endorsement contracts and the like.

Last
year’s Madden 2006 was the first Madden game to hit the Xbox 360, but while the
result was pretty to look at, the much dumbed-down gameplay left a lot to be
desired. This year’s 360 Madden is looking to right those wrongs, as it were, by
adding a lot more depth and basically reinventing the next-gen experience. The
game will feature some more intensive mini-games for training your character in
Superstar mode, with exercises like sprinting and weight lifting to beef up your
player’s stats. If you are performing a game really well, your character will
enter “the zone”, attaining a bullet-time focus, giving you that extra edge and
shaving off time when you are sprinting, for example.

The
game will also have an analog kick meter, adding a new challenge element to the
punting and field goal game. The Madden Gamer Level will track your
accomplishments as you progress, giving you access to unlockables like Hall of
Fame players with biographical info and so on.

The
Instant Replay challenge is also returning in this version of Madden, and
through Xbox Live, you’ll be able to challenge human opponents in the franchise
mode, having them take on the CPU’s role.

This
version of Madden is looking to be a great incarnation of the long-running
franchise, offering up new features and bringing a new game to the table on
next-gen hardware. Look for it this August.